NextGen Rising Star Series | Andrew Klahn
Name
Title/Company
Property Manager of MAA
Years in the Industry
17 years
Volunteer Positions Currently & Previously Held
Currently Co-Chair Membership Committee. Have previously Co-Chaired the NextGen and News and Events committees since serving on the GNAA Board of Directors since 2012. Was Chairman of the Board for the Greater Nashville Apartment Association in 2018. Served on the National Apartment Association Apartment Careers Committee and Affordable Housing Committee in 2019.
What brought you to the apartment industry?
A seasonal/part-time job as a groundskeeper in college. I fell in love with taking care of the property which grew into wanting to run the property. My manager at the time brought me inside to start filing paperwork and auditing resident files as a means to learn the paperwork side of leasing (and because nobody else wanted to do it) before being introduced to interacting with residents and prospects.
Was this career path something that was always on your radar?
Never! When I began college my major was chemistry with my plan being to become a pharmacist. After deciding I didn't want to go to school that long, I switched to human performance and exercise science so I could be a high school baseball coach.
Did you have any unrelated jobs growing up that unexpectedly prepared you for the apartment industry?
I worked for a landscape company. Their big contract was BNA but they also maintained several apartment communities. Other than that, I played a PC game as a kid called Caesar III, where you build cities/empires with limited resources. You have to attract citizens to your city, create jobs and charge enough taxes to keep your government in the black while not overcharging and thus losing citizens. All while combating crime, fires, and the occasional military invasion.
Why is property management an attractive career path?
It's not going anywhere and it is everywhere. You want to move across the country? There are going to be property management needs. For me, the reason I love property management is the people. I began my career shortly after Hurricane Katrina and we housed several refugees from New Orleans. There isn't much greater than being able to help people find home when they have lost everything.
Best professional advice you’ve ever been given?
Don't ever burn a bridge. You never know who you will be working with in 6 months...
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
If I'm not running around between the kids' activities, I'm probably looking for a new spot in Nashville to eat good food and drink good whiskey.
Do you have any pets?
Yes! I have two dogs, Crosby and Nyla.
Coolest place you’ve ever traveled?
Costa Rica
Do you have a motto you live by?
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Give us a fun fact about you!
I started wearing glasses at age 2. I still have that little pair of coke bottle glasses!
What upcoming GNAA event are you excited to attend and why?
I am super pumped for the trade show and the gala this year! I managed to miss both events last year, so this year it is on!
If you could get a "do over" for something in your career, what would it be and why?
I am not sure I would want a "do over". I have learned just as much from the negative experiences in my career as I have the positive ones.
Any advice that you could give to the rising stars of GNAA?
Find a company that treats you like family, and invests in you.
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